Don’t Blink, it’s Spring

| Flower Roberts

I was away for three days. I came home to a different garden.

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The change is a tribute to the power of sunshine and rain.

The azaleas started blooming.

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The Lily of the Valley is reaching up and budding.

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The Solomon’s Seal is ringing its bells.

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Ascot Rainbow Spurge lifted its blooms.

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My ‘Expensive Stick’ turned into a tree.

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The best surprise was the ‘Juddii ‘Viburnum blooms.

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I wish I could share the scent of these lovely flowers.

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My garden was busy while I was away.

Don’t blink or you will miss something.  It’s spring in the south.

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Amaryllis in April?

| Flower Roberts

I know that April is late for an indoor Amaryllis.

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Amaryllis ‘Benfica’

‘Benfica’ has put up its THIRD stalk of blooms.

I am usually pleased to see a second stalk, this is my first for a third.

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I hope it does this well out in the garden.

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Another Darling Baby

| Flower Roberts

My other “Darling of Spring” is a tiny Columbine, ‘Little Lanterns’ Aquilegia canadensis.

It is always the first Columbine to bloom.

I have it right by the path into our house because it is less than 10 inches tall.

It will not be overlooked, however, because if its “fire engine red” blooms.

I have many varieties of Columbine that I will share later,

but this one is my most precious.

‘Little Lanterns’ Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis

I have one more itty-bitty plant to share, but you will have to wait several weeks for it.

Every day is an art show in April.

I hope you are out and about. It’s a beautiful world.

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The Darling of Spring

| Flower Roberts

I do adore all my plants, especially the tiny ones.

This yellow Epimedium always stops me in my tracks when it blooms.

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I have to go sit on the ground beside it.

It is so complex and delicate.

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It needs close examination to have a full appreciation.

It is one of my two “Darlings of spring.”

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Stay tuned for the other tomorrow.

I want to add a photo of my male bluebird friend who now comes to visit me as I work.

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I LOVE spring!

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Fascinated by Fungi

| Flower Roberts

It’s not all flowers here in my garden.

I found this little colony of cup fungi while weeding.

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I have looked in all my books, but there is no perfect match.

The white stalk and jelly inside do not fit with all the photos.

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Anybody out there know their name?

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Mellow Daffodils

| Flower Roberts

For those of you that do not love sunny yellow, there are mellow daffodils.

Ice Follies Narcissus has a pale yellow fluffy cup.

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Thalia is pure white and pointy.

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I found a ’60 Days of Daffodils’ by Simple Pleasures that has many varieties.

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This one with pink cups was a surprise mixed in a pack of others.

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Love this double!

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These Tazetta  cultivars have a mystery source also.

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If you are too mellow for yellow, there are many other daffodil colors.

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Oh, Alberto!

| Flower Roberts

These tiny, tough little flowers are showing off right now.

I love the lines down the back of the blooms.

‘Alberto Castillo’ Starflower, Ipheion

Starflower: Ipheion uniflorum has the extra bonus of being deer resistant.

This is ‘Albert Castillo’.

It has done well and doubled it’s numbers each year.

The white blooms are especially lovely mornings, evenings and on rainy days.

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